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A popular suburb due to its areas of unique character and quality of village life, Yarraville sits 6 km outside of Melbourne’s CBD amongst suburbs such as Brooklyn, Spotswood, Altona North, Seddon, Kingsville, West Footscray and West Melbourne. The area is best suited to families as it boasts four primary schools and a number of sporting clubs including a tennis, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, bicycle, Aussie Rules, cricket and baseball club. Yarraville plays host to a number of churches of differing faiths, an aquatic centre, a shopping centre, a film society, community centre, weekend market and a number of award winning cafes and restaurants. The annual Yarraville Festival is also held in the town and attracts more than 10,000 people to enjoy its masquerade ball, carnival, street performances, art exhibitions, poetry readings and market stalls. Yarraville has a suburban railway station which links the town with Melbourne’s CBD as well as several bus routes which service the area.

Red Hill is a small, rural town with just over 1000 residents. Based in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula, it is ideally suited to families and retirees who enjoy the quiet life. Nestled between Safety Beach, Mount Martha, Main Ridge, Shoreham, Flinders and Point Leo, Red Hill is also just an hour’s drive south of Melbourne. It is a beautiful place to visit on holiday but living here would only suit those seeking something quite remote. The town has an Australian Rules football team for those seeking a sporting outlet.

A popular suburb north west of Melbourne, Ascot Vale is home to some 12,000 people. It is a great location for families and plays host to 3 primary schools. A train station and several tram routes provide fantastic public transport links to various locations including neighbouring towns such as Aberfeldie, Flemington, Kensington, Travancore, Brunswick West and Maribyrnong. Ascot Vale is bordered by the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek and also boasts a golf course. The average property in the area is valued at $686,000.

With just over 4,000 residents, Safety Beach is a seaside town on the Mornington Peninsula bordered by Arthur’s Seat, Mount Martha, Red Hill, Dromana and Port Phillip Bay. With Melbourne roughly 70km away, Safety Beach makes a beautiful location for both residents seeing a stunning home and visitors seeking to experience country Victoria. The face of Safety Beach has been altered slightly due to the construction of Martha Cove, a large inland harbour and residential development. Properties in the area average at about $355,000 and are suited predominantly to retirees and families. Safety Beach is also home to a couple of golf courses for those seeking local sporting opportunities.

Situated on the Mornington Peninsula, 85km from Melbourne, Rye is a small town of some 8,500 residents. It is best suited to retirees, though families seeking the stunning surrounds of the Victorian bush and seaside would enjoy living in Rye too. Local attractions include service clubs, a summer carnival and a couple of golf courses, but the town also boasts an Aussie Rules football team and spectacular views across the ocean and up t Arthur’s Seat. A popular vacation spot, especially among students, Rye has an average property value of $300,000 and is nestled between Port Phillip, Bass Strait, Blairgowrie and Tootgarook.

Perhaps Melbourne’s most affluent neighbourhood, Kew is a stunning example of upper and upper middle class living. Adorned by beautiful gardens and tree-lined streets, Kew is an ideal location for professionals, families and the aged, with property ranging from Victorian and Art Deco mansions to townhouses, duplexes and large retirement-living complexes. There are brilliant schooling facilities in the area as well as excellent train, tram and bus links into the CBD and surrounding towns. Property prices in Kew are more than double the average in Melbourne at $975,000. Kew was the home of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

Richmond is a popular area among families and professionals seeking inner city living and access to social and sporting activities. Nestled between Collingwood, Abbotsford, Hawthorn, Cremorne and South Yarra, this affluent area offers residents access to the Yarra River, many shopping centres and factory outlets, entertainment venues, pubs and popular Vietnamese restaurants and takeaways. It also has three main commercial strips and is well known for its textile industry. Richmond’s housing market is made up of an eclectic mix of swanky converted warehouse apartments, public housing high rises and Victorian terrace houses. There are three high schools and various primary schools in the local area and an established public transport system provides a choice of five train station and seven tram routes, making it an ideal base for anyone needing fast access into the CBD.

Perhaps most famous as being the location of Ned Kelly’s last stand, Glenrowan is a relatively small town based north east of Melbourne. With less than 1000 residents, Glenrowan is more popular as a tourist spot or resting spot for those travelling along the Hume freeway than it is as a place to live. Ideally this town is suited to retirees or perhaps families who enjoy rural living. If you’re ever travelling through, you can enjoy visiting the famous Ned Kelly siege sites.

A cathedral city with a population of 16,000, Wangaratta is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers and near to Falls Creek and Mount Hotham snowfields. An urban area which has been home to famous residents including Nick Cave, author Isobelle Carmody and Aussie Rules footballers Steve Johnson, Ben Reid and Alipate Carlile, Wangaratta is an ideal location for professionals and families. Home to a number of local radio stations as well as three secondary schools, two colleges, two TAFE campuses and three high school campuses, Wangaratta is also a popular sporting town and plays host to various football clubs, cricket clubs, golf courses, a horse racing club and a greyhound racing club. This northern Victorian town hosts the annual Wangaratta Festival of Jazz which attracts thousands of people every year. Train services run to Sydney and Melbourne from this area and there is a small regional airport as well as several bus services.

Bendigo is the type of city that really does have something for everyone. Suited to families, professionals and retirees, the area plays host to art galleries, a performing arts centre, cathedrals, a tramway museum, sporting grounds, an ice rink, both horse and dog racing clubs, public parks, a gold mine, an airport and a science and technology centre. An historical town best known for its gold mining history, Bendigo is a major provincial hub and minor financial centre, as well as being the home of the Bendigo Bank and the Bendigo Stock Exchange. The area also boasts a TAFE, secondary college, catholic college, private school and university. But while Bendigo is a rapidly growing area, its neighbours – including Elmore, Rochester, Inglewood and Bridgewater – are in steep decline. Train services run from Bendigo to Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong.

One of the most populated suburbs in Australia, Glen Waverley has almost 40,000 residents. Its proximity to Melbourne’s CBD, lively social scene and business hub make this a hugely desirable location, especially among young professionals. Glen Waverley plays host to many restaurants, cafes, cinemas, night markets, hotels, shopping malls and department stores. It is also home to the head offices of BMW, Nestle, Toshiba, Ansell, NEC and Adidas as well as the Holmesglen Institute of TAFE, a number of primary, specialist and secondary schools and various sporting clubs. It has great public transport links and a vibrant Chinese dining and entertainment area in the main street. Property prices average at about $600,000 and neighbouring towns include Notting Hill, Mount Waverley, Burwood East, Vermont South and Wheelers Hill.

A small town based near to the Maroondah Highway and Goulburn River, Acheron sits over 100 kilometres from Melbourne city centre. Remembered as one of the towns affected by the 1939 Black Friday bushfires, Acheron was developed following the discovery of gold in 1870. Like many rural towns, it is home to a small number of local businesses including a caravan park, an art gallery and a bedroom furniture design store. Neighbouring areas include Taggerty, Thornton, Alexandra and Whanregarwen.

The ideal location for professionals working in Melbourne’s CBD, Abbotsford is a well-populated town just outside of Melbourne and surrounded by areas such as Richmond, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Kew, Fitzroy and Clifton Hill. While much of the town’s old industrial area has been regenerated as residential homes, there are still an abundance of old Victorian terraces in this area which are in need of repair. Property prices have skyrocketed recently but the area still has a long way to go. It has a high crime rate and its 4,000 residents include a large Vietnamese community as well as Greek, Italian, Chinese, Arab and African communities. This working class town plays host to Carlton United Breweries as well as many heritage protected homes and some stunning public buildings. Locals can enjoy a number of public parks, a golf course, sports ground, library, church, schools and the Yarra River. There are two train stations in Abbotsford and trams also run through the town, making it very easily accessible.

Located along the Avoca River in Northern Victoria, Quambatook is an old, small town with a population of 250 – 300 residents, one of whom included musician John Williamson, who was born here. Most famous for its annual tractor pulling competition, Quambatook has a small town centre with a golf course and a train station which links the area with neighbouring towns such as Cannie and Oakvale as well as Lalbert, Gredgwin, Meatian, Barraport, Ultima and Boort. Based roughly 300km from Melbourne and 160km north west of Bendigo, this rural town lies in the heart of Victoria’s wheat belt and is recognised also for its sheep farming.

A tiny town set against the rural backdrop of central Victoria, Quantong – not to be confused with Quandong, which is based near Wyndham Vale closer to Melbourne – is ideally suited to retirees or families. Connected by the Wimmera highway to Horsham West, Natimuk and Tooan East, Quantong provides a quiet, laid back lifestyle to its residents. Nearby you’ll find state and national parks but the town itself plays host to a netball and football club and a cemetery and will soon be the home of a multi-function community centre, which will replace the existing community hall.

A popular tourist spot with a tiny population of around 200, Arthurs Seat sits atop a hill on the Mornington Peninsula, about 70 kilometres from Melbourne. Home to spectacular views of both bushland and ocean, Arthurs Seat also plays host to two restaurants, a state park, a lookout tower, a maze and a scenic chairlift, making it an ideal home for children and families. Surrounding suburbs include Port Phillip, Red Hill, Rosebud, Dromana, Main Ridge and McCrae.

This small rural town is set amongst beautiful bushland on the Mornington Peninsula and offers residents and visitors sweeping views across the ocean. A stunning and very relaxing location in southern Victoria, Fingal is an ideal place to get back to nature. Located between Rye, St Andrews Beach, Bass Strait, Boneo and Cape Schanck, Fingal is home to some 450 residents but attracts thousands of tourists every year. There are a number of hotels in the area and its surrounds as well as golf courses, wineries, beaches and national parks. There are plenty of sporting activities available such as horse riding, fishing, boating and golf, and it’s just a 90 minute drive to Melbourne.